After Death Row Inmate Is Executed, Attorneys Find DNA That Belongs to Someone Else

Arkansas death row inmate Ledell Lee maintained his innocence in the 1993 murder of Debra Reese up until his April 2017 execution

This undated photo provided by the Arkansas Department of Correction shows death-row inmate Ledell Lee.
Arkansas Department of Correction via AP

Four years after Arkansas death row inmate Ledell Lee was executed, attorneys working on behalf of his family say they have uncovered new DNA profiles that belong to someone else.

The DNA was found on the handle of a bloody club that was used in the 1993 murder of Debra Reese, according to The Washington Post. The evidence belongs to an unknown man.

Lee was sentenced to death in October 1995 in Pulaski County, Arkansas, after he was convicted of murdering 26-year-old Reese. He maintained his innocence from the time of his arrest until his April 2017 execution.

His death was the state's first execution since 2005.

Attorney Nina Morrison with the Innocence Project told The Post that the newly discovered DNA results "proved to be incomplete and partial," but said it was significant and leaves the door open for more findings.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

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